The Introduction of Mediation to Russia

 Kathryn Hendley,University of Wisconsin

 Abstract

Mediation offers disputants an opportunity to resolve their disagreements with the help of a neutral third party.  Russians’ well-documented preference for informal problem-solving and their much-vaunted distrust of the courts would seem to portend great demand for mediation.  In mid-2010, a law on mediation was passed that laid out the interplay between mediation and the courts.  The law went into effect in 2011.  Drawing on field work in 2011-12, this paper explores the legislative history of the law and delves into several of the more controversial provisions of the law.  The paper closes with a discussion of why, in the months since the law has been in effect, demand has been minimal. 

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